The ABPI Scottish Cardiovascular Disease Industry Group has given its backing to a new educational board game developed in partnership with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and NHS Lanarkshire Stroke Services.
The Stroke Game was developed by Focus Games to help frontline staff develop a better understanding of how stroke patients are managed at the four key stages of the stroke pathway: emergency, acute, rehabilitation and community.
The game is a practical group learning tool built around evidence-based information and best practice, designed to stimulate discussions and reflection. Between four and 12 players work in two teams, tackling a range of scenarios about the stroke pathway.
The Stroke Game is intended to be suitable for any professional, specialist or non-specialist, who cares for stroke patients and its makers say each session should last between 45 and 60 minutes.
It was officially launched at the Scottish Stroke Nurses Forum annual conference last month and the ABPI Scottish Cardiovascular Disease Industry Group, which consists of AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi-Sankyo, and Pfizer, gave its support to both the conference and the game.
The ABPI has, through an educational grant, bought 100 copies of The Stroke Game. These have been distributed throughout Scotland, to every stroke unit and stroke coordinator, and to every university that teaches student nurses.
According to its makers, the game “has been designed to work in a wide range of settings, including acute, community and social care”. It can be used in informal team meetings, structured study days, symposia and conferences, and does not require a specialist facilitator.
While recent years have seen significant improvements in treatment and stroke services across Scotland, there are approximately 4,500 deaths in Scotland each year where cerebrovascular disease (CVD) is the underlying cause, according to government figures.